FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   Burkart John F. 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 05/18/2010 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST INC [ESS] (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST INC., 925 EAST MEADOW DRIVE 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Executive Vice President 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) PALO ALTO, CA 94303 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common Stock 10 D   Common Stock 12,574 (4) D Â

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Series Z-1 Incentive Units	  (1)	  (1)	Series Z Unit Incentive	3,655	$ 1 (5)	D	Â
Series Z-1 Incentive Units	  (2)	  (2)	Series Z Unit Incentive	4,706	$ 1 (5)	D	Â
Series Z Incentive Units	  (3)	  (3)	Series Z Unit Incentive	1,470 (4)	$ 1 (5)	D	Â

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Burkart John F. C/O ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST INC. 925 EAST MEADOW DRIVE PALO ALTO, CA 94303	Â	Â	  Executive Vice President	Â

Signatures

Michael T. Dance (Attorney-in-Fact)		05/18/2010
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Represents the grant of Series Z-1 Incentive Units pursuant to the Essex Portfolio, L.P. Long Term Incentive Plan issued in March 2004.The conversion ratchet percentage, initially set at 20% will increase by up to 10% on January 1 of each year for each holder of Series Z-1 Incentive Units who remains employed by Essex Property Trust, Inc. and has met a specified 'funds from operations' per share target or other criteria established by the Compensation Committee, for the prior year, up to the maximum Conversion Ratchet Percentage of 100%. These Units have no expiration date.
(2)	Represents the grant of Series Z-1 Incentive Units pursuant to the Essex Portfolio, L.P. Long Term Incentive Plan issued in December 2005. The conversion ratchet percentage, initially set at 20% will increase by up to 10% on January 1 of each year for each holder of Series Z-1 Incentive Units who remains employed by Essex Property Trust, Inc. and has met a specified 'funds from operations' per share target or other criteria established by the Compensation Committee, for the prior year, up to the maximum Conversion Ratchet Percentage of 100%. These Units have no expiration date.
(3)	Represents the grant of Series Z Incentive Units pursuant to the Essex Portfolio, L.P. Long Term Incentive Plan issued in June 2001. The conversion ratchet percentage, initially set at 20% will increase by up to 10% on January 1 of each year for each holder of Series Z Incentive Units who remains employed by Essex Property Trust, Inc. and has met a specified 'funds from operations' per share target or other criteria established by the Compensation Committee, for the prior year, up to the maximum Conversion Ratchet Percentage of 100%. These Units have no expiration date.
(4)	The reporting person exchanged 12,574 series Z incentive units of Essex Portfolio, L.P. ('EPLP') into 12,574 limited partnership units of EPLP and in turn exchanged such units into 12,574 shares of the issuer. The issuer is the general partner of EPLP. Common units of EPLP have no set expiration date. All of the common stock issued is subject to liquidity restrictions and cannot be sold, transferred or margined until after January 1, 2011.
(5)	A capital contribution of $1.00 per series Z & Z-1 Incentive Units.

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